First Checkup
by Meushell
Summary: Sam and Martouf take Malika in for her first checkup.


Title: First Checkup  
Author: Meushell  
Disclaimer: If you recognize it, then it's not mine.  
Summary: Sam and Martouf take Malika in for her first checkup.  
Rating: PG  
Notes: Sam and Martouf are married, and they have a daughter.

Martouf frowned as he held Malika. "Is this necessary?" He and Sam were at SGC's infirmary. "Aldwin was thorough in checking her health. He has assured us that she is healthy. I have checked it myself. Though I am not a healer, I came to the same conclussion."

Sam smiled. "This is more than a checkup. Every newborn goes through this."

"Is Doctor Lerold trained to do deal with babies?"

"Yes."

Martouf frown, unsure about that.

"The medical staff is trained to deal with infants and children here." Sam thought of Janet, whom she still missed. Janet had made sure there was training after Cassandra was found. They never knew who would be coming through the gate.

Martouf gave a soft sigh before giving control to Lantash. The symbiote set Malika down on a bed as Dr. Lerold came in. He watched the man.

The doctor smiled, having not yet met the Tok'ra. "Hello, I'm Doctor Lerold."

"I am Lantash," Lantash replied.

"Let me see her." The man smiled as he began checking on the child. Lantash made him nervous. He was not used to dealing with Tok'ra, and he knew every movement was judged. He silently prayed that the baby wouldn't put up a fuss. He was sure he'd be blamed.

Lantash was quiet, watching as his daughter was examined. He heard Martouf assuring him that he must know what he is doing, that Lantash should stop eying him.

"She appears healthy," the doctor said as he went back to his counter. "I don't see any signs of a problem."

"If there was, we would have known before she was born," Lantash assured.

"Uh...right." Dr. Lerold wasn't sure how to respond to that.

Lantash smiled a bit before looking down to the girl. However, when he looked up again, he saw the doctor approaching...with a needle! "What are you doing?" He demanded as he picked the girl up.

"I need to take some of her blood."

"What do you intend to do with it?"

"I'm going to send it to the lab to make sure she is healthy."

"You just said she was healthy."

"Lantash, he doesn't mean her any harm," Sam assured.

"He's not taking our daughter's blood."

Sam rubbed the girl's arm, who was still in Lantash's arms. She looked to the doctor. "You don't need a blood sample."

"I need to check her blood sugar and-"

"Her blood sugar is fine."

The doctor nervously looked between them before relenting. "Fine, but she still needs to be vaccinated."

Lantash kissed Malika's forehead before putting her back on the table. He smiled to the girl, talking to her as though she were an adult. "You will be given diseases in small doses. They have been weakened. Your body will fight them off, and you will become immune." However, when he saw the doctor approaching with another needle, Malika was quickly scooped. "I told you not to take her blood."

"This is the vaccine."

"Lantash, you said my dad explained vaccines to you."

"He didn't mention needles."

Sam realized the conversation must have been a while ago. Surely her dad would have mentioned how it was done if he knew Lantash would be watching Malika get vaccinated. "It's the only way it can be done."

Lantash looked to the girl before looking to Sam. "Does she need it?"

"Yes, she does."

Lantash slowly put Malika back down on the table. "She's only two months old."

"Which means she is overdue," the doctor replied as he prepared Malika. He gave her the shot, and she screamed and cried.

Lantash rubbed the girl as he saw the man preparing for another. "How many times do you plan to stick my daughter with a needle?"

"It's only three more times."

"Only?"

"Lantash, we need to be calm for her," Sam said. It wasn't easy for her to watch, but she had a better understanding of the situation.

Lantash looked down at his squirmy daughter. He felt his host's mix of emotions, telling Lantash to calm as well, but not liking this any better. "Malika, we are here." He rubbed the girl, gritting his teeth as he watched the doctor make her scream again. "You are halfway through."

Malika cried again with a third shot.

The doctor watched as Lantash grew more and more stern, and he felt nervous. Why had he been the one to deal with the Tok'ra's child. He finally gave the girl the forth shot.

Lantash rubbed the girl. "You are safe now."

"She needs to come back in two months for another checkup and more shots."

Lantash frowned.

"Uh, well, I'll finish her records."

The Tok'ra pulled out a healing device.

Dr. Lerold rushed back. "What are you doing?"

Sam suppressed a laugh, as she knew Lantash wasn't going to heal the diseases.

Lantash looked up to the doctor. "You put holes in my daughter. I am healing her."

"She's fine."

Lantash ignored him as he healed the damage left by the needles. He also scanned what was put into her body. With the healing device, he could almost feel it as though he was feeling the activity inside his own host. He didn't like what he found, but he knew he had to let her body deal with it on its own.

"Resist it," Sam said, knowing he wanted to heal it away.

"I am." He put the healing device away before holding her close. He left the room, glancing back to Sam as she followed. "I do not like him."

"It'd be the same with any doctor who saw her."

"Then I do not like any of your doctors." He watched her expression fall, and he realized too late that it was not the thing to say. "I am sorry. I liked Dr. Fraiser. I am certain she would have done a better job. She is the only medical doctor on Earth who would have been worthy to check our child."

Sam smiled a bit, knowing that it was quite a compliment. She knew Lantash was very selective when dealing with healers. When it came to his host, he barely tolerated the Tok'ra healers, but Tok'ra healers were the only ones he ever seemed to trust. "She would have insisted on doing the blood work."

Lantash smiled. "Maybe that's why she had my respect-" A doctor who backed down seemed to him as one who didn't entirely know what he was doing. "-and I am certain she would have been gentle."

"She was," Sam agreed.

Lantash gave a nod as he took off the bandage his daughter no longer needed.

"Maybe you can learn something from the ones we have though."

"What would I learn?"

"You didn't need to heal her."

"Our daughter was wounded."

"That's something her body is going to have to learn to deal with. What are you going to do as she grows up? Follow her around with a healing device?"

Lantash appeared to be seriously considering this.

Sam raised her eyebrows at him. "No."

"What sort of father would I be if I allowed my daughter to live with wounds?"

"We're talking about scrapes and bumps. Probably a few blisters. You know what the best way to heal that is?"

"A healing device."

"No."

"Then what is it?"

Sam moved closer and gave him a quick peck. She watched as he smiled. "See?"

Lantash kissed Malika's cheek, who smiled in return. "I believe she has forgiven us."

"She knows she's loved."

Lantash smiled again as he held his daughter closer.

~End


End file.
